


A Good Place

by NightOwl1600



Series: The Fanart Collection [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Big Brother Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Drugs, Gen, Goodbyes, Hurt No Comfort, Jason Todd is a good brother, Jason is only in here a little at the end, Little brother Tim Drake, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, dying, im sad and i want everyone else to be sad with me, inspired but a fanart you should really check out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 03:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightOwl1600/pseuds/NightOwl1600
Summary: INSPIRED BY THIS BEAUTY: http://anieaes.tumblr.com/post/141099949800/now-now-im-in-a-good-placeTim's been missing, for weeks now, but Dick's found him. Dick's finally found his little brother and everything is fine. But its not. Something is wrong with Tim and he won't tell Dick what. He assures Tim that they can fix it together, but Tim's convinced that there's nothing to fix. Nothing anymore anyways.





	A Good Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [http://anieaes.tumblr.com/](/gifts?recipient=http%3A%2F%2Fanieaes.tumblr.com%2F).



> INSPIRED BY THIS BEAUTY: http://anieaes.tumblr.com/post/141099949800/now-now-im-in-a-good-place
> 
> IM GONNA SAY IT TWICE SO EVERYONE LOOK AT IT

Dick could see him, just a few feet ahead of him in the fog, a tad out of it, but he was there and he was standing and he was okay.

“Red Robin!” Dick called out, waving his hands in the misty air to get his attention. “Red! It’s me! Its Nightwing!”

He started running towards his brother when Tim didn’t show any acknowledgement besides staring, but that was ok, because Tim was alive and that was all that mattered. 

He enveloped the younger man in a bone-crushing hug as tears flooded his eyes. “Gods Timmy, I thought we lost you there.”

At that comment, Tim chuckled and finally hugged back; not nearly as strong as Dick was hugging him, but hugging him nonetheless. Dick felt Tim’s head bury into his shoulder as the younger relaxed in the embrace.

“I’m so so sorry I didn’t come fast enough,” Dick said, not removing himself from the hug. He knew that Tim was always awkward with physical affection, but he also knew he loved it. “But it looks like I didn’t even need to come at all.”

Dick was so relieved. After weeks of not knowing where they had taken Tim, after having been worried sick, after working day and night to figure out what had happened, here Tim was, completely fine. Maybe a little bruised up, but for the most part fine. Tim had taken care of himself just fine.

He pulled back to get a better look at his brother and really assess for injuries. It didn’t seem like he had any broken bones, or wounds, which was good. But he paused once he actually took a good look at Tim’s face. His eyes were glowing.

Dick pulled off the mask to reveal that the light was not coming from the mask itself, but Tim’s pupils. “Tim,” he started slowly, cupping Tim’s face with his hand. “Your eyes are glowing. Do you know anything about that?”

Tim didn’t answer, so Dick began listing all the possible problems; magic, nano-tech, drugs, it could really be anything, but Dick was not going to rest until he figured it out. He was guessing more on drugged by the way Tim was acting. Disoriented, unresponsive; he was definitely drugged. 

“Tim,” Dick gently called out again. Tim’s eyes were following, but he remained silent as he stood in front of Dick. “Tim, stay with me ok? You’ve been drugged, I think, so stay focused on me. I’m going to get you home and we’re going to fix this.”

Tim smiled a Dick, which was good because it was the most responsive he’d been since the hug, but something about the smile made chills go down his spine. Tim wasn’t happy—it looked more like he was sad.

“There’s nothing you can fix anymore Dick,” Tim gave him a melancholy look and shook his head, but he was still smiling. “I’m okay now.”

“Timmy, listen, no you’re not,” Dick tried to explain. He was so confused, if Tim was coherent the entire time, how come he hadn’t responded to anything Dick had said until then? “Do you know how long you’ve been missing for? We’ve been looking for you for so long. You’re unresponsive and disoriented. I don’t know what happened but its obvious that you are not okay.”

“I,” Tim paused and looked away, seemingly searching for the right words to say, “I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Dick feared the worst. He knew he and Tim had been a bit rough ever since Damian showed up, but they were long past that now. Surely Tim knew that he didn’t have to hide anything from him? “Tim, I’m your brother, I would never judge you. Just tell me what’s going on and we can fix it together.”

Tim just huffed, smiled and shook his head without making eye contact with Dick. Then tears started falling from his eyes.

“Did they do something to you?” Dick felt anger boiling inside him but refused to let it show, “Is that the reason we haven’t been able to find you? Were you—were you hiding from us? Because of something they did?”

Tim just chuckled and quickly wiped the tears out. It was funny, because his tears were glowing too. “No, not exactly, but kinda yes,” Tim sniffled.

Dick bent down to Tim’s level, worrying even more about the state his little brother was in. “Tim, just tell me what’s wrong and we’ll get through it together.”

“That’s just it Dick, we can’t do this together anymore.” Tim said firmly, but sadly. When Tim looked back up at him, Dick recognized the brave face Tim always put on when he was going through something tough, or had to break bad news to someone. That face was a mask in its own right. “We can’t do this together anymore.”

Dick crinkled his eyebrows in confusion and put a hand on Tim’s shoulder, as if to keep the boy in place, but also as emotional reassurance. “What do you mean? Of course we can.”

“Dick,” Tim pressed firmly, looking Dick directly in the eyes. The younger man was no longer crying, instead looking very determined, and a tad heartbroken. “There is no more ‘we’ because there is no more ‘me.’”

Dick didn’t like where this was going. “Tim, I don’t understand. What are you saying?”

“Dick, just let me go already.”

Dick felt his heart plummet. He gripped Tim’s shoulder a little tighter. “No. No you are not saying that. I’m not leaving you.”

“You’re not the one that’s leaving.” Tim smiled again, trying to reassure Dick of…of something. Dick wasn’t sure what.

“Tim, you’ve been drugged and we need to get you back home so we can get you help. You’re talking non-sense. Let’s go.” Dick said as he forcibly tried to pick Tim up, but as he tried to put his arms under Tim’s legs, they simply went through him.

“I am home Dick. This is my home now, but its not your’s. Not yet. You have to accept the truth.”

“No.”

“Dick, its okay to let me go. Just forget about me.”

“No, it will never be okay to just forget about you. And I’m not going to let you go. The only truth is that we need to go get you help. You’re sick, or drugged, or injured. I don’t know, but we need to get you help.”

“Dick,” Tim grabbed his arm ever so gently to get the man’s attention. “I’m dead.”

He’d said it. Dick had known, he had known for awhile now, but hearing it said somehow made it real. Hot, sorrowful tears began rolling down his face. How could he have been too late? How could he have left Tim by himself? How could he leave Tim now?

The world around them seemed to haze even more, and Dick realized that the light in Tim’s eyes weren’t coming from inside the eye, but rather being reflected by some light Dick just couldn’t see.

“Tim, please, we can still fix this.”

“ ‘We’ can’t anymore, because I can’t live this life anymore.” Tim smiled and hugged his older brother, “But thank you. For making my life worthwhile.”

“It should be longer Tim,” Dick replied through the tears, hugging the younger back tightly, hoping that if he held on hard enough, Tim would stay. “It should be longer. Please, Tim. I won’t leave you.” Gods, Tim was just a kid.

“Like I said Dick,” Tim pulled away, and no matter how hard he held on, Dick wasn’t able to stop him, “I’m the one leaving, not you. You have to stay here. They need you.”

“They need you too. I need you here. Please don’t go.”

Tim smiled, not a sad smile, but a real, genuine, happy smile. Suddenly, he began to turn into mist starting form the bottom and slowly climbing to his head. 

“Its okay Dick,” Tim breathed one last time. “Now…now I’m in a Good Place.” 

****

“Tim!” Dick woke with a jolt. He was sweaty and shaking and couldn’t remember anything. All he knew was that he needed to find Tim. He struggled to get up, but everything hurt.

Then large, callous hands were on his chest pushing him down. “He’s not here Goldie, remember?”

Jason. It was Jason.

“Wh—where is he?” Dick asked through panting breathing.

“He’s gone. Remember? He hasn’t been here for awhile.” Jason said causally. 

Dick couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t remember what happened, but it had obviously been a long time since…Tim. Jason was able to speak so openly about it, so it must have been a long time. Dick couldn’t remember how Tim had died, but he could feel the pain of losing his little brother like it was new. It basically had been.

He grabbed Jason and held onto him as if his life depended on it, and Jason let him. 

Maybe if he held on a little longer, no one else would disappear from his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Thoughts, comments, constructive criticism and all that jazz is appreciated!


End file.
